Coupling means for folding rolls



y 1950 1. G. ANDERSON 2,514,737

COUPLING MEANS FOR FOLDING ROLLS Filed April 8, 1948 imvsm-ron- Ivan Gaflndensqvu Patented July 11, 1950 OFFICE COUPLING usais s roa FOLDING ROLLS Ivan Anderson, Chicago, Ill. Application April s, 1948, Serial No. 19,754 (01. 270-80) l-Claim. .1 i H The invention relates to machines for folding stacks of paper sheets or the'like into-pamphlet form, and more particularly to improved means .for coupling-the adjustably supported folding rolls used in such machines.

- Machines of the above general character are commonly provided with opposed rolls'between which the stacks of preliminarily creased sheets are fed for pressing into a flat'folded condition.

while the other roll is drivingly coupled by gears with the driven roll to insure rotation of the two rolls in proper timed relation. As the spacing of the rolls must be adjusted, and moreover since one roll is usually supportedfor yielding movement relative to the other in accordance with the thickness of the stack of sheetsbeing folded, it has been the general practice to provide sets of gears of different sizes adapted to be installed and removed as required by the variations in the spacing of the rolls. The changing of these gear sets is both laborious and time consumingas it necessitates the removal of at least one roll from its bearings. Accordingly, the cost of setting up the machine for relatively small runs becomes prohibitively high.

With the above in view, one object of the invention is to provide improved coupling means for the folding rolls which can be quickly and easily adapted for different roll spacings without disturbing the rolls and their bearings or requiring any disassembling of the machine.

A more specific object is to provide coupling One roll is driven from a suitable source of powerfl of sheets and the other coupling gear set engaged.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawing and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling withinthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Forpurposes of illustration the invention has been shown as embodied in a, machine for folding stacks ll of printed sheets constituting time tables or similar pamphlets. In this machine the folding of the stacked sheets is effected by counter-rotating rolls H and 12 supported side by side in parallel relation on upright members [3 auditof the machine frame and spaced apart so as-to exert substantial pressure on the fold as the stack of sheets is passed between the rolls.

. In the exemplary machine, the stacks of sheets are deliveredin succession by a belt conveyor 15 to a table 16 overlying the rolls II and I2 and means for adjustable folding rolls including a plurality of gear sets of different sizes perma nently associated with the rolls and arranged so that only one gear set at a time may be rendered operative to drivingly couple the rolls.

Other objects and advantages of the invention wil1 become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a folding machine embodying the features ofthe invention, showing the manner in which a stack of sheets is fed to the folding rolls.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the machine showing the arrangement for yieldably and adjustably supporting one of the folding rolls.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the machine showing the rolls adjusted for folding relatively thin stacks of sheets and with an appropriate set of coupling gears engaged.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the rolls adjusted for folding relatively thick stacks having an elongated opening l1 disposed substantially centrally between the rolls. Supported above the opening I! for movement therethrough is. a .bladeelike member l8 operative to preliminarily crease the stack of sheets along the line of foldand to force the stack into a position to be gripped by and drawn through the rotating rolls. An abutment member or stop IS on the table l6 servestoline .up the stacked. sheets for proper engagementby the blade l8.

.-To insure application, of the same degree of pressure to each stack of sheets, one. of the rolls, in this instance the roll [2, is supported for movement transaxiallytoward and from the companion roll I I. and is yieldably urged toward the latter. Support for the roll I2 is provided by bearing blocks 2| (Fig. 2) slidably supportedon the side members l3 and M of the frame and confined in a horizontal path by suitable guides 22 rigidly secured to the frame members.

The adjustable roll I2 is yieldably urged toward the fixed roll II by springs 23 interposed between the bearing blocks 2| and the end porurged forwardly by the spring 23. By screwing the bolts into and out of their sockets, the limit position of the roll I2 and hence its spacing from the roll I I can be adjusted as required.

When the machine is in operation the rolls I I and I2 are driven continuously from a motor M through suitable gearing indicated diagrammatically at 3B in Fig. 1. One of the rolls, in this instance the roll II, is driven directly from the gearing 30 while the other or adjustable roll I2 is coupled with and driven from the roll I I. In accordance with the invention, this coupling is eifected by a plurality of sets of gears permanently associated with the rolls and adapted to be engaged and disengaged selectively in accordance with the spacing of the rolls.

In the exemplary embodiment, two sets ef; gears are provided for coupling the rolls II and I2, one set comprising gears SI and 32 of relatively small diameter adapted for intermeshing engagement when the rolls are adjusted to closely spaced relations, as shown in Fig. 3, for folding thin stacks of heets. The other set of gears comprises gears 33 and 34 of larger diameter adapted for intermeshing engagement when the rols are adjusted farther apart, as shown in Fig. 4, for folding thicker stacks of sheets.

To provide adequate clearance, the gears are mounted on end sections 35 and 36 of the re spective rolls II and I2, which are reduced in diameter as compared to the bodies of the rolls Gears 3i and 33 are mounted on the opposite end sections 35 of the roll II and are rigidly secured thereto against relative axial or rotational movement. Gears 32 and 34, in turn, are

mounted on opposite end sections 36 of the roll I2 and are fitted with feather keys or splines 3! engaging in keyways 38 and 39 formed in the respective end sections so as to secure the gears against rotation relative to the rolls while permitting them'to sl de axially thereof. The gears 32 and 34 may therefore be shifted into or out of meshing engagement with their companion gears 3! and 33.

To avoid any possibility of interference between the two gear sets, provision is made for preventing the engagement of more than one gear set at a time. To this end the gears 32 and 34 are keyed to the end sections 36 of the roll I2 in angularly offset relation to each other so that when either set of gears is engaged, the teeth Of the gears of the other set overlap and thus pre- Anpresent instance by locating the keyway 38 at one end of the roll out of line with the keyway 39 at the other end of the roll.

To chan e the couplin from one gear set to .the other. as.f. exampl from the coupling sh w i Fi 3 to that shown in Fi .1, th ear 32 is shifted axially (to the right) out of engagement with the gear 3I. The roll I2, after b in adjusted for spac g with resp ct to th -roll II, is then turned through an angle corre- 4 spending to the angular spacing of the keyways 38 and 39. The teeth of the gear 34 are thereby alined with the teeth of the companion gear 33 and the gear 34 may then be shifted axially (to the right) to mesh with the gear 33. To reengage the gears 3I and 32, the steps above are simply reversed.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides coupling means of a novel and advantageous character for drivingly coupling the rolls of folding machines. By providing a plurality of coupling gears of difierent sizes permanently associated with the respective rolls, the coupling may be readil adjusted for different roll spacings w thout disturbing the rolls or their bearings. Interference between the gear sets is effectua ly avoided by securing the shiftable gears to the associat d roll in angularly offset relation to e ch o her thereby preventing the engagement of more than one gear set at a time.

I claim as my invention:

In a machine for folding stacks of a er sheets or the like, in combination, a pair of elongated rolls supported in side-by-side re ation'witb. one of said rolls adjustable transaxially toward and from the other roll. each of said rolls having sections of reduced diameter at opposite ends, a first pair of gears mounted on the corresponding reduced sections of said rolls dimensioned for meshing engagement when the rolls are adjusted into closely spaced relation, a second pair of gears mounted on the other reduced sections of said rolls dimensioned for meshing engagement when the rolls are spaced farther apart, the gears carried by one of said rolls being rigidly secured thereto with their teeth in circurn ferential alinement, and keys cooperating with keyways formed in the reduced sections of the other of said rolls and in the gears mounted thereon for restraining the gears against rotational movement relative to the roll while permitting movement axially thereof into and out of meshing engagement with their companion gears, the keyways in said shaft being oifsetwith respect to each other through an angle approximately equal to one-half of the circular pitch of the gears of one of said pairs to position said gears so that only one pair at a time may be engaged.

IVAN G. ANDERSON.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

STATES PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 8, 193i 

